AFI echo post-punk roots

AFI have endured plenty of comparisons to the Cure for their emo and goth-rock tendencies.

On their self-titled 10th record, released this year and more commonly referred to as the Blood Album, they’ve willingly embraced the post-punk influences that have long been part of their DNA.

“Musically speaking it has a greater empathetic quality, I would say,” singer Davey Havok says from Hollywood. “As well as a heavier nod to a lot of post-punk influences that have really been a large part of our musical upbringing that have never really been heard before, as far as our records go.

“Creatively speaking, they haven’t been as pronounced as they are on the Blood record.”

Despite saying it wasn’t brought about by a conscious decision to revisit their formative 80s influences, the 41-year-old born David Marchand does drop names such as the Sisters of Mercy, Bauhaus, the Cure, Joy Division and This Mortal Coil, plus Australian acts Dead Can Dance, the Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

“As we were creating, those greater post-punk moments made the cut,” Havok says.

“Whereas in the past they didn’t really make it. But I’m really happy that they did at this point because, again, it really illustrates a very important point of who we all are as musicians and writers, and our influences.”

Havok also acknowledges that the Californian band pay a lot of attention to how their songs will sound in concert, pointing out that new tracks Feed from the Floor and Above the Bridge are getting the strongest reactions live.

“For us, it’s such a huge, huge part of our perspective when we’re writing, that live aspect,” he says.

“When we started the band, we were all recording and writing songs as a means of having something to play live to have ammunition to connect with people and to impact people in the live arena.

“There’s a bit more songwriting focus and nuance for what is best for the song, in and of itself, than there was when we were 15,” Havok adds.

“But that translation to the live experience is still a huge part, because we can’t help but envision what will it be like when we bring this to people — how will they react and what parts will they react to.”